The councillors and executives that have been arrested in
Harare and Chitungwiza have their cases at different stages in the courts of
law.
Harare accounts for 18 of the arrests while Chitungwiza has
eight.
Zacc spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure said their
fight against corruption in local authorities would be applied in equal
measure, both in urban and rural authorities, until residents get value for
their rates.
“We have taken the fight against corruption to local
authorities.
“The law will be applied with the same weight
notwithstanding that it is a rural or urban authority because the effect of the
vice is the same on residents.
“Zacc will not expend its energy on the urban local
authority ahead of the rural authority or vice versa,” he said.
According to records at Zacc, some high profile figures
arrested in Harare include ex-mayors, Herbert Gomba and Jacob Mafume; town
clerks – Hosiah Chisango and Isaiah Chawatama.
Others include Addmore Nhekairo and Mathew Marara, both of
whom were at some point directors of housing, Priscilla Charumbira, who was at
one point the city planner and later director of works, and Samuel Nyabeza, who
was a city
planner.
Most of them are being charged with criminal abuse of
office arising from the way they allegedly parcelled out State and council land
to undeserving persons.
In Chitungwiza, mayor Lovemore Maiko and Ward 23
Councillor, Question Dingo, were arrested in November last year charged with
criminal abuse of office.
The two are alleged to have connived and allowed an
additional supplementary agenda in a general purpose meeting, which caused the
appointment of Tendai Chinganga to a non-existent post of revamping council
libraries and halls.
The case was deferred to April 21 for trial while there is
an outstanding statement from the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local
Government Housing and Public Works, which needs to be recorded.
There is also a case of housing and community services
director Hazel Sithole, who is facing 16 counts of criminal abuse of office
where she is alleged to have issued 16 residential stands without a council
resolution to do so.
At least three witnesses are set to testify in the case
that was deferred to May 7 for trial commencement.
At least two councillors — Stanley Warikandwa and Tonderai
Chiwanza — together with housing director Alex Mukweva, were arrested by Zacc
for allegedly conniving and allocating stand number 21027 Zengeza 5 to Blessing
Sasha Moyo without following the Chitungwiza Housing policy plan and against a
Ministerial order.
Mushata and Mukweva have another pending case for
unlawfully sub-dividing stand 19307 reserved for a crèche into eight
residential stands without an approved layout plan and did not follow
Chitungwiza Municipality housing plan. Herald
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